Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester
by Tribble Master
Summary: Seven sailors went swiming, and vanished into the deep... Sam and Dean head out to figure out what went wrong and end up in a storm.
1. As the Poets put it

**enid18 **and others wanted more of my drabble **Hear Me. **Yes, I am lazy, so parts of that poem are included here.

This poem is kind of long... it'll be posted in pieces over the next couple of days.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Cooleridge, Winchesters, Conrad, or anyother things I may refrence...

Ready for this?

**Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester  
Part One: As the Poets put it...**

Seven sailors with maritime hobbies  
And a wealth of experience disappeared.  
Like fish on dry land, we hate it but  
We'll work if the job takes here--

We rent a small boat for the day.  
Provisions packed, we'll take a look,  
No need to hunt, until we know what-  
We'll just play it by the book.

How did the poets put it? We were as  
'Still as a painted ship on a painted ocean.'  
No breath nor motion stirred in the blue,  
I should've sensed the coming commotion.

The storm stirred the waves  
Brewing like a lover scorned.  
The water rose in frothy rage  
Under the dark sky, we were torn.

As we were thrown into deep  
I reached out blindly for his hand.  
Our fingers brushed, but we were lost  
In a tide, I hope, that'll carry us to land.

Thrown about like a rag doll,  
I cannot say much more.  
In the turmoil as I was  
Thrown against the rocky floor.

"We got him!"  
"Hold his head!"  
"Was he the only one?"  
"Miracle he ain't dead."

As quick as it was here  
The storm is out of sight  
And yet waking on a ship  
I've just begun to fight.

I am wrapped in a blanket,  
To stave off the unnatural chill  
Coast Guard rescuers look to me and  
All the motion on the ship stills.

A question on my lips-  
"Who else did you find?"  
"There was no one else."  
No! Sam was left behind!

Still barely standing  
My lips are bright blue.  
"Steady son." They say.  
"Sorry, I got work t'do."

"But you were found  
Just floating!" they try.  
I demand- "Which direction?"  
The Coast Guard has to realize.

Yes, I'm tired, yes  
I'm sore as hell. But Sam—  
I cannot rest until I know  
That he is on dry land.

Hear me: Hold on tight.  
Help's almost there.  
Sam, wherever you are  
Don't be scared.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

As the sun rises today,  
For but a brief time,  
An isle appears to be  
Before it's buried in the brine.

Somewhere on this sandy shore,  
The sun watches mystified  
As long limbs and hazel eyes  
Defying curses, struggles to survive.

_to be continued_


	2. Instead of the Albatross

**Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester  
Part Two: Instead the Albatross**

X marks the spot, as pirates say,  
And so splayed on the beach  
He wakes at the sound  
Of a startled parrots speech.

"What brings you here?"  
The ruby eyed ancient crows,  
Flapping its molting feathers.  
So parched at first, he only groans.

"You can't have what those  
Rotted limbs, bleached skulls guard.  
In short, all your efforts to come  
And steal won't get you far."

Sitting up, he blinks tiredly.  
Sam looks out to the calm sea,  
Wondering if he could swim.  
The parrot laughs. "It's not that easy."

"A storms not all that we can  
Conjure up and brew, sea scum."  
He glares at the ghastly beast,  
Who laughs, "Pirates and their fun."

The bird takes frenzied flight  
As Sam stands and glances  
At isle's surroundings,  
Evaluating his chances.

Barely two steps forward and  
The earth begins to laugh.  
From the trees he sees  
Remnants of the past.

Emerging from the dark  
Of their final resting ground,  
Shrugging of gems, pearls, gold,  
Are men Davy Jones' never found.

The walking skeleton crew  
At a Captain's final request  
Stand to protect the hoard  
Even after their death.

They've no choice but to follow  
The lure of their stolen gold.  
These dead men tell a tale  
In blood of their tortured soul.

Shipwrecked men such as Sam,  
Surrounded by this treasure trove,  
Must pay the price with their life,  
For what they now know.

The parrot is at his side again  
Chirping insults in his ear.  
His cracked beak says aloud,  
"You never should have come here."

Breaking into a run from the advance,  
Sam looks ahead and wonders where  
He could hope to hide when  
The whole isle is a pirate's liar?

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

"Even Lafayette had trouble  
On these choppy waves."  
The Coast Guard swimmer says,  
Hoping my mind is changed.

I nod curtly as I check my ride.  
The motor on the skipper putters.  
"I got it- sail safely." I call back.  
I head out, my stomach flutters.

The wind is teasing- playful.  
If it goes according to plan,  
Then I will get tossed  
Back into fate's unruly hand.

_to be continued  
_


	3. Into the eye of the Storm

**Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester  
Part Three: Into the eye of the Storm**

Ain't never been much for luck,  
All I'm asking for is a storm.  
Approaching where we first crashed.  
The clouds quietly began to mourn.

The watchful sky pities sailors  
That her sister sea scorns.  
As trapped between them  
It would seem that I'm forlorn.**  
**  
A chilling laugh escapes my lips  
As I roll onto with the rocky ride.  
If I can just survive another spin  
I may find my brother still alive…

I see the rocks ahead,  
In between flashes of my life.  
But I'm far from done this time  
With the isle's shore in sight.

A gleaming gem, paradise isle-  
Set in the storm's very eye.  
I'm thrown free from my boat  
To rest on the shore where I lie.

Taking a deep breath, I see  
Upturned earth, plies of gems,  
And an angry parrot who doesn't  
Have any intentions of being my friend.

"More sea scum, eh?"  
The vile bird mutters  
"You all end the same-  
Buried like the others."

"What others?" I growl,  
"Who else is here?"  
A squawk, "Only the  
Dammed Pirates to fear."

I grunt and hold my head in pain.  
I can deal with the injuries after.  
I leave the bird to search for Sam.  
Behind me, he shakes in laughter.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Sam sits in the sea cove;  
Knees pulled close to his frame.  
He's been hidden here for hours,  
Listening for any change.

"I'll tell the others y'know."  
Says a chattering skull at his side.  
Sam dumps more sand on the cranium.  
Muffled, it grunts. "You'll see, they'll find--"

"Be quiet old bones!"  
The jaw clamps down, sulking  
Silence Sam continues to ignore until-  
"I could tell you 'bout the pirate king."

Sam picks him up carefully.  
Looks into his hollow eyes,  
While hefting a large rock,  
"You've got one chance, you realize."

The skull seems to grin,  
"Trust me, you'll like this-"  
Sam sets him down gently.  
As he starts to reminisce.

_to be continued  
_


	4. These Old Bones

**Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester  
Part Four: These Old Bones**

T'was many a season ago  
That few can still recall,  
I been sitting here so long  
And I can still see it all.

I never did care for violence,  
Like my bloodthirsty shipmates.  
I was just a new cabin boy  
Working down in the freight.

We sailed the fair ocean-  
Never caught, always free.  
I was happy to be there, but  
Gold was all the others see.

The Captain wouldn't stop.  
Though our hull was sunk low  
Weighted with our gluttony and  
A lusting mermaid leading our bow.

The world was our oyster-  
We took her precious pearls.  
We thought we'd seen it all  
But here is were it unfurled.

No merchant ship was she-  
Her sides to intricate; her design to fine.  
Harmless, easy prey for the cannon strapped  
Battle ready black flag ship of our kind.

The battle was short, we threw down  
Our planks and crossed on to  
The most elegant fortune  
Guarded by an inexperienced crew.

Their Captain was old, weather beaten.  
We brought him forward on his knees,  
Gleaming around his neck, a ruby.  
He watched us fearfully, "Please…"

Our Captain grabbed the chain  
From the wretched man's throat.  
"What is your request?" he snarled.  
"We're going to destroy your boat."

Their Captain hung his head low.  
"Leave me my ruby, it's my cure."  
Our Captain kicked him down.  
Oh, we should have learned.

That ruby, blood red--  
As large as my curled fist.  
It glittered so beautifully  
Poisoned by immorality's kiss.

As we now know all to well  
This isle cannot be seen,  
Cannot age, cannot ever die  
Because of that ruby's gleam.

We took the ruby and everything  
That their ship had obtained.  
We killed the fat and spoiled crew  
And burned her down to the frame.

Our reward for our work  
The Captain freely gave.  
He made a map for his treasure  
He buried inside of our grave.

Joke is on him though;  
He'll never find this isle.  
Thanks to that blessed ruby  
We can rot in peace all the while.

Now I long to be at rest but I must work.  
I always hated my job, it's just as well.  
Look around and see what transpired  
While you were under my spell.

_to be continued  
_


	5. In the Eye of the Beholder

**Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester  
Part Five: In the Eye of the Beholder**

Venturing into the heart of darkness  
Across the broken forest floor  
I see bony prints, torn tracks, gems…  
But Sam? I need to know more.

After my impromptu ocean swim  
My jeans are torn, my shirt in threads.  
The knife that's strapped to my leg  
Is all I have left for self-defense.

A battered bone sentry sneaks up  
Jumping at me. I was surprised  
But not for long. The swashbuckler  
Crumbles into pieces ceasing its battle cry.

No bird song, animal sounds, too quiet…  
I kick at the pile of animated bones.  
That can't be all that curses the isle…  
The answers walk in and I'm not alone.

They drag him in kicking  
Holding hum up by his hair.  
"Oh ho!" Their leader chimes,  
"Who else comes to rob our lair!?"

On his knees spitting curses,  
Sam looks up in sudden shock.  
He wastes no time- "The ruby controls-"  
Everyone stops at the sudden squawk.

I look at the weathered parrot.  
"You knew he was here." I say accusingly.  
He regards me, his one jeweled eye sparkles.  
"Wouldn't make a difference you see."

"This is my isle!" he waves his wings,  
Ribs poke out of his patchwork corpse.  
"I found the ruby! It's mine alone!  
Two, or seven, sea scum won't undo my work!"

"Can we kill them now?"  
Says the pirate holding Sam.  
Others nod, tightening their grip  
On the swords in their hands.

The parrot leered, "But of course."  
Sam jumped to his feet, toppling the solider  
As I began to fight through the fray  
To get to the ruby and it's holder.

Them bones broke apart as they fought, but  
They kept coming and we each took a blow.  
Things looked grim as we struggled  
But the parrot made his folly; swooping low.

Sam reached up with his long arms,  
To grab at the beast's dull tail.  
It fruitlessly fluttered as I  
Grabbed his wing and let out a wail.

Sam let me cradle the bird, he  
Swallowed back disgust as he saw  
When I pulled out my large knife.  
And I began to artfully carve.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

With a squelching noise, the gem was loosed.  
The wretched creature writhed in Dean's grasp.  
The skeleton crew froze as it was smashed and  
Then time caught up with their souls at last.

The blind and bleeding foul feathered fiend,  
On whose services the skeletons no longer lean,  
Scowled as they began to look at themselves mortified  
As their bones turned to dust before their very eyes.  
**  
**Sam stood next to Dean. They knew  
It wasn't long before it'd all disappear.  
They didn't want to admit, that  
They still couldn't get out of here.

The jewels at their feet shook.  
Trees quaked, sand began to travel,  
The sky turned dark, the sun blood red,  
As the isle in the storm's eye unraveled.

How did the poets put it?  
The only thing we have to fear  
Is fear itself that paralyzes.  
I doubt the poets were ever here.

_to be continued  
_


	6. Against the Tide

**Rhyme of the Ancient Winchester  
Part Five: Against the Tide**

Without the ruby to hold them back,  
The waves celebrated with a crash.  
The tired brothers began to sink  
As they succumbed to nature's lash.

As hopeless as it seemed  
Dean still smiled, he'd found Sam.  
And that was worth everything.  
Even if it'd gotten out of hand.

"Dean?" Sam yelled above the gale.  
"Yeah?" Dean cried as the water came close.  
Sam pointed out in the distance, where  
Dean looked. Sam nodded, "Is that a boat?"

Dean's reply was drowned in the roar.  
All the noise faded in the eerie calm  
Beneath the bombarding blue as they drifted,  
Lulled into nightmares by the ocean's song.

"Didn't we fish him out already?"  
"A week ago, but now there's one more."  
"Grab more blankets! Get the kit!"  
"Jeeze, and I thought he was battered before."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

What's that sound I hear?  
What's that beeping noise?  
The world feels solid as I wake,  
Listening to a familiar voice.

"Dean?" Sam asks quietly from  
The hospital bed next to mine.  
Opening my eyes to see him,  
I know now that we'll be fine.

My skin prickles feeling burned.  
Every muscle of mine is sore,  
I smile at him with cracked lips.  
"Guess we learned pirate lore."**  
**  
Sam relaxes to see I'm awake.  
"And," Sam sighs, "We got the job done."  
I nod and croak, "Even if we never got  
Treasure and the pirates got all the fun."

Sam's laughter puts me at ease.  
"Promise me," I say tiredly,  
Sam sits up to listen closer,  
"We won't take another case by sea."

Sam nods, happy to agree.  
After this less than pleasant battle,  
As the poets say, now we can  
Continue on the road less traveled.

_**the end**  
_


End file.
